Foundever, a global leader in the customer experience (CX) industry, celebrated diversity, equity and inclusion through two events during Pride Month in the Philippines. The first was the Pride March held at the Quezon City Circle, where the company fielded hundreds of Foundever associates to express support for acceptance and respect for the rights and dignity of the LBGTQIA+ community. The second event was their own Pride Summit, a special talk show featuring celebrity drag performer Eva Le Queen, LGBTQIA+ rights activist Jael Gonzales, and Pride at Foundeverco-chair and Director of Operations Ethan Sarabia.
Acceptance, respect, love
Sarabia gave the Summit listeners a brief overview of Pride at Foundever, the company’s Employee Resource Group founded in 2021 for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies that integrate the values of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in all the work sites of Foundever™ in the Philippines.
According to Sarabia, Foundever associates spend most of their time each week in the workplace, so, it is important that they find acceptance, respect and love within that environment. Only then can they work productively and give their best to their customers.
“Today, Foundever practices and policies exist to ensure that LGBTQIA+ rights are protected and that their professional and personal well-being are taken care of,” he said.
For his part, Gonzales said that Foundever is not just giving lip service to the LGBTQIA+ community. Rather, it is truly committed to creating a workplace and a culture where members of all genders are accepted and allowed to thrive.
“The fact that Pride at Foundever exists as an ERG, that your associates support the Pride March, and that there’s this yearly Pride Summit, all of that shows that Foundever is truly proactive when it comes to ensuring the welfare of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
In response to Sarabia and Gonzales, the Pride Summit’s host, Foundever HR Director Juicy Oliver, pointed out that as early as 2019, Foundever proactively began taking steps to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusivity in Foundever’s workplace and culture.
“Back in 2019, Foundever revamped its HMO coverage to include not just spouses, parents and children as dependents but also our associates’ LQBTQIA+ partners,” she noted.
Sarabia added, “Pride should be celebrated every day. We want each and every one of us to feel respected and empowered. Always be yourself, express freely and love with all your heart.”
Le Queen, who famously won third place at Season 1 of RuPaul’s Drag Race Philippines, and is the founder of Drag Playhouse PH, shared this message: “Practice who and what you want to be. If you want to be an honest person, don’t do it once or twice. Do it every day. If you want to be a superstar, act like one. Let’s live our truest, best expression of ourselves as human beings. Start from the moment you wake up. On top of being LGBTQIA+, practice being the best version of who you are, every day.”
